M83 - Before The DawnHeals Us

Thu 21st Apr, 2005 in Music Reviews

M83’s Before The Dawn Heals Us is a hybrid of noise, electronica and guitars that explores and exploits polar opposites. Sinister vs uplifting, light vs dark, dreaming vs reality. The predecessor to this album was 2003’s Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, and the major change from then to now is that M83 consists of one sole member – Anthony Gonzales. How one man can create such expansive soundscapes is quite staggering, and although there are moments where this album deviates into somewhat ineffective territory, it is, for the most part, an intense and satisfying journey.

This album is all about rich, textured sounds and soaring keyboards that can propel the songs to dizzying heights or accentuate ambient, low-key moments.

In The Cold I’m Standing has a great movie soundtrack quality to it. Haunting strains of keyboard waft up and through, creating an eerie atmosphere. The only lyrics in the song “something is coming now” add to this creepiness. From creepiness to sheer, melancholy beauty – that is the transition between In The Cold I’m Standing and the next song Farewell/Goodbye. It is a soppy song with soppy lyrics, but the effectiveness of the soft vocals and gentle music transform it into something of greatness.

Other fantastic tracks are back-to-back songs Fields, Shorelines and Hunters and *, both of which turn things right up. The swarming guitars and rapid drumming of the former escalate into a cacophony of fuzz and static, while the latter song proves that M83 can create a fabulously rocking track that is as effective as the dreamier numbers. Teen Angst is also an exciting track, with the drumming and intense vocals making for a hell of a listen.

One downside is track 12, Car Chase Terror. It begins with a creepy monologue that is supposedly between mother and daughter, but it sounds like it is spoken by the same woman. The song improves once the synth fully kicks in, but overall it is quite a confusing song that could have been more effective if the music carried it without the continuing dialogue.  

Similarly, Safe and Let Men Burn Stars are both slow songs that, despite being atmospheric enough, do not quite match the effectiveness of the other tracks.

The last two songs on the album encapsulate the diversity that can be found throughout this release. A Guitar and a Heart opens with synth, then drums and guitars are added and the sounds grow in intensity until beats are incorporated as well. Closing track, Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun is a dreamy affair and a poignant end to a beautiful album.